Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, following a series of public rifts and disputes with Portugal’s manager, Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo retires as Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer, having netted 146 goals in 234 appearances and guiding his country to their first-ever European Championship triumph in 2016. His announcement came just before the national team was set to reveal the squad for the upcoming Nations League, with Ronaldo choosing social media as his platform to share the news.
In a heartfelt video posted to Instagram, Ronaldo reads a letter addressed to his fans, reflecting on his journey and expressing gratitude for their support throughout his career.
"To the Portuguese people, the day has come to return the No. 7 jersey of the national team," he said.
"I never felt it belonged to me alone but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world. Today, the time has come to pass it onto the future.
"It was not an easy decision because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart," Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo’s decision to step away from international football follows weeks of public disputes with Portugal’s coaching staff. Tensions escalated when he left the training camp during the previous international break after being left out of the matchday squad in a 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cristiano Ronaldo announces retirement from Portuguese national team
